Treatment of cellulose.



UNITED STATES PATENT c FEI0E.

HENRY rmums, or LONDON, nncmmn, assrcn'ca or ONE-HALF r0 Homes warm comma. or LONDON, ENGLAND.

TREATMENT or CELLULOSE.

1,oos,4.s9.

No Drawing.

To all wlwm it may concern:-

Be it known that I, IIENRY Pn'rans, of 24 Tavistock Square, in the county of London, England, chemist, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements Relating to the Treatment of ellulose, of which the following is a specification.

This. invention relates to 'the treatment of cellulose whereby the same can be brought into a form articularly ada ted for the preparation 0 solutions capabie of application for the manufacture of films, threads, coatings, molded articles, and the like.

According to the invention I heatthe cellulose for some time with petroleum oil or any other 'oil, including in this designation glycerin, and after cooling the mass of cellulose and removing the adherent oil therefrom I treat it with a solution containing .formic acid and palmitic acid together with a solvent such as methylated spirit, and I then subject the cellulose product to the action of an acetylizin bath which may consist in substance of sul uric acid, sodium acetate, acetic anhydrid and a condensing agent. The 'g'esulting cellulose roduct may then be treated with a neutralizingsolution, preferably a solution of ammonium carbonate in a volatile solvent such as methylated spirit, and the product may be finally washed with water containing ammonium carbonate or other neutralizing agent and finally washed with water and dried. r

In carrying out the invention I may proceed for example as follows Example. '1' kilogram raw cellulose is .heated for about 4 hours .in glycerin, or

petroleum oil, or any other oil. With pe troleum oil the tern erature will be ma1n tained at about 40 with other oils it will be kept below'the boiling point. Afterthe 'mass has been allowed. to cool, the oil is pressed outthoroug hly and the cellulose is dried. The cellulose is then put into a bath consisting of 1,000 grams methylated spirit, 50 grams acidum formicicum (HCO HE, and20 grams of palmitic acid (C H O The cellulose is'steeped or pressed until it has been thoroughly impregnated by the liquid. After 4 hours thewhcle mass is put into a bath consisting of 2-31; liters glacial acetic acid or' other condensing agent 3 liters acetic anhydrid; 100 grams-sulfuric acid; 10 grams sodium acetate. This mass must be. cooled down and always kept below lose, comprisin with an oil; (11% Specification of Letters Patent. Paten ;ed Nov. 14,- 1911. Application filed September 5, 1911. Serial no. 647,722. I

dried.

A cellulose product 1 repared in this manner dissolves very ,easi .y in acetone, lacial acetic acid and other solvents, am? only needs about half the qt antity of, solvents required for ordinary 11811111088. acetate. It

forms very strong noni uflammable films and retains its elasticity.

What I claimand de sire to secure by-Letters Patent is 1. A process for tho treatment of cellu- (a) mating the cellulose subse uent treatment with a solution of formic ac 1d, a volatile solvent; (0) sub ecting theresulting product to the act ion of an acetylizing 'bath substantially as d ascribed.

2. A process for the Treatment of cellulose, comprising (a) heatil g the cellulose with glycerin; (b) subsequ nt treatment with a solution of formic acic' palmitic acid and a volatile solvent; (0) subjecting the. resulting product to the action 0 E an acetylizing bath, substantially as descril ed.

3. A process for the treatment of cellulose comprisin (a) heath g the cellulose with an oil; (11 subsequent treatment with a solution of formic acid, palmitic acid and a volatile solvent; (0) :ubjecting the resulting product to the ac1ion'of'an acetylizing bath containing sulfa] in acid, substantially as described.

4. A rocess for the treatment of cellulose comprising (a) heating the cellulose with an oil at 'a temperature be .ow the boiling point; (b) subsequent treatm ant with a solution of formic acid, palmitic acid and alcohol; (a)

almitic acid and p subjecting the resulti! g product to the action of an acetylizingl ath consisting in substance of acetic anhyd rid, an alkali acetate,

sulfuric acid and a' c )ndensing agent subvolatile solvent; (0) s1 bjecting the resulting 1 10" product to the action of an acetgdi'zing bath;

(d) neutralizing, washing an drying the resulting product.

6. A rocess for the treatment of cellulose, comprislng (a) heating the cellulose with an oil and removing remaining oil from the cellulose (.b) subsequent treatment with a solution of formic acid, palmit'ic acid and-a volatile solvent; (0) sub ecting the resulting product to the action of an acetylizl'ng bath consisting -in substance of acetic anhydrid, sodium acetate, sulfuric acid and a condensin a ent.

process for thetreatment of cellulose comprising heating the same with an oil and subsequent treatment with a solution offormic acid, palmitic acid and a volatile solvent.

' 8. A process for the treatment of cellulose, comprising heating the same with glycerin and subsequent treatment with a solution of formic acid, palmitic acid and a volatile solvent.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my handin presence of two subscribing 25 witnesses.

HENRY PETERS.

Witnesses:

HENRY ALLEN PRYOR, ROBERT MILTON SPEARPOINT.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent'No. 1,008,489, grz uteri November 14, 1911, upon the application of Henry Peters, of London, Englan i, for an improvement in The Treatment of Cellulose, an error appears in the p rinted specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 63, 'strike out the words forms very strong non-inflammable films and insert the words per litre. Then the product is well washed, and that the said Letters Patent should be read w th this correction therein that the same may conform to the recorrl of the case in t 1e Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 28th day of May, A. D., 1912,

c, c. BILLINGS,

Acting Commz'sr ioner of Patents.

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